Senate Votes Down Surveillance Oversight Amendment (35-63)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Senate Votes Down Surveillance Oversight Amendment

By Paul Kiel - February 12, 2008, 11:00AM
Next up on the Senate floor this morning was an amendment to provide more oversight of surveillance involving Americans, sponsored by Sens. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Jim Webb (D-VA), and Jon Tester (D-MO). See below the fold for Sen. Webb's description of how the amendment would have worked.

A number of Democrats joined together to vote this one down, resulting in a resounding 35-63 defeat.

(Under this amendment), when the Government realizes that it has acquired a communication with one end in the United States, the Government must segregate that specific communication in a different database...
This amendment is really quite simple. Under this amendment, the Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Justice would be given access to sequestered communications. These sequestered communications will allow the Inspectors General to see specifically which Americans the Government surveilled or which specific communications were diverted into Government hands for possible surveillance.

Using this information, the Inspectors General would be required to conduct audits of the implementation of this sequestration system and determine the extent of the surveillance. I note that the Inspectors General would employ staffs with appropriate security clearances. And at least once per year, the Inspectors General must report their findings to the Senate and House Committees on Judiciary and Intelligence.

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/senate_votes_down_surveillance.php

[LakeSamish706]

1. And the Democrats that voted no on this amendment should be voted out...

of office. This is pure bullshit.

[napi21]

3. What were their arguments against it? Sometimes I listen to cspan

but for these arguments, I haven't been listening.

[leveymg]

6. We're too dumb to understand anything except, "terra." That's what they think.

They simply don't want to be accused -- however inaccurately -- of coddling terra-ists.

[leveymg]

2. In other words, we just lost minimization (the separation of data about innocents from targets)

This is not good. The NSA now can keep all data together, forever, and freely share it with the FBI. Regular folks with targeted terrorists.

The Gov't no longer needs a warrant to scoop up your phone calls and can use everything it intercepts against you.

Bye bye 4th Amendment. It was nice while it lasted.

[opihimoimoi]

4. What are the reasons/excuses...if any??? WTF?

[Gman]

5. The question of the morning: Was Obama there and how did he vote

my bet is he was NOT there. But, if he was there, he sided with the 63.

[Pale Blue Dot]

7. I would like to see how and if BOTH of the Dem. Presidential candidates voted on this. nt

[LakeSamish706]

9. I doubt if either one of the candidates were there! n/t

[karynnj]

16. Here's the ayes and nays from the Senate record

YEAs ---35
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Casey (D-PA)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---63
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Carper (D-DE)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Inouye (D-HI)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Not Voting - 2
Clinton (D-NY)
Graham (R-SC)

[MaineDem]

8. Obama IS there

He voted with Feingold on a previous amendment. It was also rejected.

Hillary did not vote on the previous amendment.

The roll call for this vote is not online yet.


http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00014

[OnyxCollie]

12. Votes are in.

Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Nay
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Nay
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Not Voting
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Coleman (R-MN), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Nay
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay
Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Not Voting
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Nay
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Nay
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay
Martinez (R-FL), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Nay
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Nelson (D-NE), Nay
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Specter (R-PA), Nay
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Warner (R-VA), Nay
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wicker (R-MS), Nay
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

[OnyxCollie]

13. Dupe.

[karynnj]

22. he was there - voting with the good guys

but Clinton wasn't there - and in all honesty - it didn't matter. the vote was not close and her being there would not have made a difference.

Note: I am an Obama supporter - but not voting attacks on hopeless votes are stupid

[atreides1]

28. "but not voting attacks on hopeless votes are stupid"

And not voting just means you don't give a damn, and have no interest in something that is important, like the evisceration of the US Constitution!!!!!

[aquart]

31. Like when Obama votes, PRESENT?

Or doesn't show up at all like for Iran? Oh wait. It's okay when Obama does it, he's a man.

[MaineDem]

10. Obama voted Aye

Clinton did not vote.

[boricua79]

15. ahah....

another reason not to vote for her!

[stillcool]

17. and another reason....

to smear Kennedy and Kerry...those no-good-niks are at it again.

[MaineDem]

18. Why? They voted aye. n/t

[stillcool]

20. I guess I should have...

added the sarcasm thingy. I forget how much DU has changed.

[MaineDem]

37. Changed?

I don't understand how change has anything to do with not understanding intended but not specified sarcasm.

And I've been around a while, too.

But thank you for clarifying.

[Dr.Phool]

11. Here's the list of traitors!

Webb must have switched sides for a procedural move. All I can figure.


The Senate vote on the Dodd-Feingold amendment to strip telecom immunity from the new FISA bill wasn't even close: 31-67.

Among the Dems crossing the aisle: Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Evan Bayh (D-IA), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-ND), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Jim Webb (D-VA).

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/178128.php

[karynnj]

19. There is no procedural reason - he sometimes is undependable

on issues like this.

[TwilightGardener]

26. No, Harry Reid would be the one to vote "no" for procedural reasons--Webb

voted the way he wanted to.

[aquart]

29. McGaskill is the one suggested as Obama's VEEP?

The one who's been traveling with him a lot?

[gaspee]

32. All the usual suspects

[onenote]

34. two different amendments

[boricua79]

14. I hate these dumb-ass, coward Democrats

I hate them, I hate them, I hate them!

I'm SO DONE with centrist Democrats. Screw you all! Screw You DLC! Screw you Pelosi. Screw you all!!!!!!

GRRR....

[ixion]

21. pathetic

it amazes me how quick they are to sell our civil liberties down the river. :grr: :argh:

[ixion]

23. it's time to remove DLC dems

stop the trashing of our civil liberties. :grr: :argh:

[formercia]

24. It would have been easier to detect criminality

on the part of the Administration.

I call it obstruction of Justice by voting it down.

[keithjx]

25. Ijust like to point out the Tester is D-MT

Not D-MO. Nothing against Missouri, but Tester is ours.
That is all.
KJ

[Hell Hath No Fury]

27. Wow, Feinstein gave us Californians a twofer today!

Voted for telecom immunity and voted against surveillance oversight!

Can I get this off my chest?

BASTA! ENOUGH! THIS SACK OF SHIT NEEDS TO GO! :mad:

[fascisthunter]

30. These Dems are All DINO's..... wake up everybody

people gotta stop being conned.

[ooglymoogly]

36. we now learn by this vote that the real breakdown of the Senate

is 67 pukes and 32-3 democrats and that explains the unexplainable. All hail the new and treacherous rubber stamp congress.

[Vinca]

33. Someone might as well grab a notepad and run up to the White House

and make a list of everything Shrub wants. They can then bring it back to Congress, write one big bill, pass it and go home.

[mhatrw]

35. FUCK YOU, TRAITORS TO THE CONSTITUTION! n/t